News: Alex Sink, Kuwait, The Who, Gerard Butler, Sydney, Universe

Paper: Two same-sex marriages have been conducted in Kuwait, under strict security.

OUT100 announced.

Goth strippers: Cast for Adam Lambert's "For Your Entertainment" video revealed.

Wingnut rally today over hate crimes: "The Rally for Religious Freedom is meant to raise alarm over the nation's new Federal 'hate crimes' law just passed by Congress and signed last month by President Obama. The intention of the rally is to assert the freedom of speech of ministers and Christians in general to declare biblical truth in the public square. The Rally will also expose the unconstitutional nature of the hate law. Ministers from various denominations will preach from the Bible, especially those parts that speak to the sin of homosexuality. This will serve to reassure ministers and Christians that they are free to do the same."

Advocates express optimism on New York marriage equality.

Complete unknowns The Who to play Super Bowl.

I See You: Leona Lewis to try and duplicate Celine Dion success by singing James Horner-produced theme song from James Cameron's Avatar.

Gerard Butler is dressed to kilt in Glasgow.

Florida gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink says state's ban on gay adoption must go: "We need a system in which all of our children are assured that they live in a healthy, loving home -- a home that's determined not by any law. The decision has to be made by the judge, in consultation with the experts, to determine what is the best for that individual child.

Virgin Airlines gets behind Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

Frank Bruni on Ellen & Portia.

Thinking about changing your name if you get married?: "Since the federal government doesn’t recognize the right to same-sex marriage, even if you get married in a state that allows it, whether you can get the name change processed by Social Security or the passport office merely with the marriage certificate and required forms currently tends 'to be hit and miss,' said Emily Doskow, an attorney in California who specializes in same-sex and transgender family issues..."

Madonna visits slums and billionaires in Rio.

Streaming stars: Scientists find signs of a neighboring universe?

Equality California honors Attorney General Jerry Brown for efforts to overturn Prop 8.

Corpus Christi: Terrence McNally play depicting gay Jesus sparks protest in Orange County.

Former Mr. Gay UK, police officer Mark Carter, says he suffered homophobic abuse after winning competition: "In particular, he detailed how - when attending the scene of a domestic violence incident in 2005 - a gang circled him and began shouting homophobic abuse. 'I could hear shouts of 'queer' and 'faggot',' he said. But despite his instincts, he never called for back-up for fear of retribution. 'I didn't want to call for back-up and put other officers in danger because I didn't like the insults they were throwing at me. But deep down I knew it was wrong,' he said to the BBC."

A $17 million grant has been awarded to Igor Grant, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and his colleagues by theNational Institute on Drug Abuse to study the epidemic of meth use and HIV.

Male model fix: Arthur Sales.

Gay community in Philippines mulls protest rally following gay party's rejection by the elections commission.

Media Matters has the anti-gay goods on Palin ghostwriter Lynn Vincent: "In her many years writing for World, Vincent has authored several columns on gay rights issues, frequently deriding gay men and lesbians as abnormal and 'devian[t],' often trafficking in hackneyed stereotypes of the gay community. Vincent even went so far as to lament the American Psychiatric Association's decision to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder, and she also wrote that the struggle for gay rights differs from that for African-American civil rights and women's suffrage, in that it will not "benefit society at large."

News: Maine, Pete Wentz, South Park, Thomas Perez, Brokeback

Focus on the Family donated $115,000 to stop marriage equality in Maine. Check out how much the Catholic Church donated here (it was a lot more).

300 protest play featuring transsexual Jesus in Glasgow.

Was Adam Lambert's Halloween chum his new boyfriend?

Salt Lake City elects first openly gay city council member: "Stan Penfold, a gay man and the director of Utah Aids Foundation, has won the race to fill Salt Lake City’s District 3 council seat. Penfold outpaced Phil Carroll to represent the Avenues and Capitol Hill, replacing outgoing Councilman Eric Jergensen."

WaPo: Gay groups say Maine loss won't alter strategy. NYT: Gay rights rebuke may change approach.

Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, testified today on ENDA before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Here's his testimony.

Rue McClanahan hospitalized: "I'm currently having some maintenance on the old ticker"

Mariah Carey visits Ellen DeGeneres.

Dede Scozzafava opens up about campaign drop-out: "There were calls going that were calling me a child killer, there were pieces of mail that said I was a homosexual lover."

Pete Wentz got punched by some guyliner.

South Park runs "fag" episode.

Eastern Pacific Great White Sharks hang out in "shark café."

Brokeback Mountain author Annie Proulx donates early draft to New York Public Library: "The early draft shows that the story, which was later adapted into an Oscar winning hot film starring the late Heath Ledger, had early working titles such as Bulldust Mountain and Swill-Swallow Mountain."

Since God hates shellfish, why aren't right-wing religious conservatives in Maine boycotting the lobster industry?

Kathy Griffin celebrates her birthday at The Abbey.

Pat Buchanan thinks Charlie Crist has a gay rights problem.

150 people rally in L.A. on Prop 8 anniversary, including openly gay Los Angeles Police Commissioner Rob Saltzman: "Also among the rally speakers were Robin Tyler and her (legal) wife Diane Olson, and their attorney Gloria Allred, who has filed several marriage lawsuits on their behalf. Matt Weinstein from the US Department of Commerce also urged same sex couples and domestic partners to fill out the 2010 US Census forms when they come around – noting the historic change in policy of now including gay people."

Watch: Mario Lopez Gets Stripped, Soaked on Ellen

Yesterday, Mario Lopez became the latest celeb to get in Ellen DeGeneres' dunk tank for charity.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously...
Watch: Mark Ballas Gets Undressed, Dunked on Ellen [tr]

Watch: Mark Ballas Gets Undressed, Dunked on Ellen

Dancing with the Stars' Mark Ballas was dunked yesterday on Ellen, as a benefit for Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer charity. Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously...
Mark Ballas Not Bothered by Stereotypes or a Man's Tongue [tr]

News: Ganymede, Mark Salling, Eating Disorders, Paula Abdul

Ukraine offers deal to Elton John in guardianship of HIV-positive boy?

Paula Abdul wants Ellen's job now.

Court: Male teen tried to stab, gas man to death after having sex with him. "Prosecuting counsel Jennifer Blewitt told the court the teenager had been communicating with the man for some time through text messages before he agreed to meet him. The pair then returned to the man’s home for sex and the younger man left afterwards, leaving the kitchen gas turned on and unlit. Soon afterwards, Ms Blewitt said, he returned with the knife and thrust it at the man as he opened the door."

Divas: Kelly Clarkson duets with Melissa Etheridge.

Four gay candidates advance in NYC elections.

British school calls emergency assembly over sex change of 12-year-old boy: "What has really upset the parents is that the school didn't see fit to send us a letter first so we could explain it to children in our own way. Maybe we could have explained sexual politics and encouraged our kids to be more sensitive. They were simply told, 'You may notice one pupil is not present in this assembly – that is because the pupil is now a girl'. The girl, as she now is, will go through hell because of how this has been handled."

Obama anoints unicorn trend.

Jupiter's moon Ganymede generates spectacular light shows at planet's poles.

Thousands line up for gay and lesbian job fair in NYC.

GLB teens at higher risk for eating disorders: "Among males, the highest risks were seen among homosexuals -- who were seven times more likely to report bingeing and nearly 12 times more likely to report purging than heterosexual males."

Inside the secret rallies of Maine marriage equality foes: "The interesting revelation: That it was apparently the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins who requested the media shut-out. Weird, considering this is a man who has never met a camera lens to which he wouldn't lend a talking point."

Americablog: Who is Barney Frank, anyway?

Mohawk lovers: Glee's Mark Salling.

European Parliament condemns homophobic legislation in Lithuania: “It is particularly alarming that the Lithuanian parliament succeeded in passing homophobic legislation under the pretence of child protection, when it is clearly in the best interests of young people to have as much information as possible on these issues. Open discussion among young people is the best way to tackle discriminatory attitudes and the high suicide rates of young people who come out as gay or lesbian."

Insurance company ordered to pay $10 million for revoking policy of 17-year-old college student after he tested positive for HIV.

Shirley Tan and her family advocate for immigration in D.C.: "The Tan-Mercado family met with several members of Congress, the staff of numerous additional Congressional offices, and, in a West Wing meeting, White House staffers to press for new cosponsors for the Uniting American Families Act and the House Reuniting Families Act, as well as for inclusion of lesbian and gay binational families in comprehensive immigration reform."

And the Fourth Permanent Judge on American Idol Is...

Ellen Degeneres. Her announcement, AFTER THE JUMP...